Want to help the Salvation Army help others? Buy a book.

Posted by RAD on December 5th, 2017

Three years ago, on December 8th, my second book on Dracut was published. Legendary Locals of Dracut is a collection of short biographies and photographs of the many different people, past and present, who have made Dracut the vibrant and diverse community it is today. It is by no means a complete collection—for a small town, Dracut has produced many remarkable people—too many for a book of a mere 131 pages.

Perhaps someone, someday will write a second edition of Legendary Locals so the amazing stories of Dracut will continue to be chronicled for future generations. Whoever does write that next edition will undoubtedly find the experience immensely rewarding as I did. Not only did a learn a tremendous about the town, but more importantly I made very dear friendships with a whole host of people who welcomed me into their homes to share their stories and photographs.

When Legendary Locals of Dracut was written, I asked Major Everett Henry of the Lowell Salvation Army to write the book’s foreword. I had decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to the annual WCAP Salvation Army Radiothon. There is much need in our communities and if sales from my book could help in some small way, it seemed like the right thing to do. Sales from the book raised $3,000 for the 2014 Radiothon.

Now, almost three years to the day of my book’s publication, the WCAP Radiothon is scheduled once again to hit the airwaves to raise much needed funds so the Salvation Army can continue to help those in the Merrimack Valley. In fact, the Salvation Army has a long history in Lowell. It first opened its doors in the Weir’s Bock on Market Street on December 20, 1884. It has been a presence in Lowell ever since to assist people with food, utilities, or simply a safe haven for individuals with no other place to go.

For almost 30 years, the annual WCAP Radiothon has been a fundraising

Major Everett Henry who wrote the Foreword for my book is shown here at the WCAP Radiothon along with Micky Ward and Warren Shaw

event to help the Salvation Army continue its work in the Merrimack Valley. The Radiothon helps provide kids with toys and clothing for Christmas and makes utility and food assistance possible for people in need during the holidays and beyond.

Last year, the WCAP Radiothon raised a record $200,000 and I have no doubt this year will meet or exceed that dollar amount. The volunteers who organize the Radiothon each year do a tremendous amount of work to ensure the event’s success each year—from putting up signs around town, to ringing the bell outside of businesses, to collecting auction items—and the event gets bigger and more successful with each passing year.

This year’s WCAP Radiothon will be Saturday, December 9th. Tune in to WCAP to listen to the Radiothon live from 6 am – 2 pm or go online at https://www.32auctions.com/Radiothon_2017 to place a bid on one of the many auction items available. Of course, you can always just call in at 978-454-4980 to place a bid or make a donation.

For those interested in Dracut history and helping the Salvation Army—proceeds from my book still, and will always be, donated to the annual Radiothon.

Legendary Locals of Dracut can be purchased online at amazon.com. Let’s see if we can contribute another $3,000 (that is 300 books) to this year’s Radiothon through online sales of the book and help make the holidays a bit brighter for our neighbors.